Bardahl Special 2023?

[Mark K]

Pics on FB show very smooth glossy white paint, no scoop, wingtips, gear doors, wiring hanging out of the gear doors, or just aft, clipped horizontal stab, Voodoo's prop, stock canopy, but no glass. Lots of work to be done, not a lot of time to get it done, and do testing. Lots of work done, but they seem to be cutting things very close.

Will

I agree, looks like they're making great progress... she's white (hard to see any detail though) and lookin good, tail section incidence appears done except for some of the forward trim pieces, wiring for the F-86 pumps maybe? I do see Voodoo's scoop sitting off to the right in the background - but I don't see the transition from the radiator forward to the scoop that the spray bars attach to - still a work in progress but getting much closer. I would have liked to see them a little further along like yourself. Then again, we really don't know when these pictures were taken and hopefully it was a few weeks ago.

I know it would be a disappointment for me not to see her racing... the battle between Miss A & Bardahl Special could very well be a lot closer than one might think. But whoever wins, it'll be a lot more fun for everyone to see 'em both have at it!!! May the best pilot/plane/crew win!!! It's gonna be awesome!!!

[GRNDP51]

Not to anyone's surprise (and I could be wrong), but that radiator looks like the tube Merlin oil/engine coolant combo radiator (oil is the smaller side I think). A view you don't see often.

[Mark K]

Not to anyone's surprise (and I could be wrong), but that radiator looks like the tube Merlin oil/engine coolant combo radiator (oil is the smaller side I think). A view you don't see often.

No, you're right on all accounts - especially when you said a view you don't see often. There's a little magic that happens there so crew usually makes it difficult to see clearly when open. You'll see on the attached photo below that when Miss A was being worked on last year that this area was fully exposed. But you'll also note that the clear head-on shot wasn't posted. Oh yeah I've got it - more than a few in fact - but can't talk about it or show it to your guys until after the race. It's one of the mods Brent would rather keep close to his vest for now.
...

[T. Adams]

Jose Flores built the engine, so of course it is a tube Merlin.

[Plane Nuts]

For those of us not on bookface, please post the pics of Bardahl Special. Thank you.

[T. Adams]

For those of us not on bookface, please post the pics of Bardahl Special. Thank you.

They are not my pics, so I’m not posting them.

[John H]

Thanks and sorry for not posting these Saturday, they are my pics and I’m the one that posted them on FB . A friend has a hangar at Chino and driving around the airport after lunch is our weekly routine . Thanks for letting me post them and also not just grabbing them. I was there in July, the hangar door was half open and all this was blocked by Petie 3rd’s wing, so I couldn’t tell if it was there or not. At last here it is!

[Gunner7]

I have been watching this closely since I work on the airport. They better get to hustling because time is a wastin'. Race 64 has already made a few flights, going to be ready for the show but not sure Miss B will have the kinks worked out come Sept.

[Plane Nuts]

Thank you John H for posting the pics.

[Mark K]

(snip) but not sure Miss B will have the kinks worked out come Sept.

I don't know if that's going to be the biggest hurdle faced by the Miss Bardahl team. There is one issue that is yet unresolved, or rather, we STILL have the proverbial 500 lb. gorilla in the room (the most difficult issue being faced by the Bardahl Special team is being ignored). What I'm referring to is http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/forum...116#post263116, where the rules of competition state very clearly that aircraft which have been modified for unlimited competition like the Bardahl Special has been since her last outing at Reno, must have their flight testing & paperwork submitted to RARA before August 15th that year. If the pictures were indeed taken 8/26/23 - then this obviously didn't/isn't going to happen ... so it's anyone's guess on how that is going to play out this September.

Will the rules be enforced as written? Will the Bardahl Special receive special consideration? Will it be up to RARA to make the call? Or will the FAA have the final word? Has the decision already been made (one might think that since there's been no change to the entry list since published)? Lots of questions and lots of bad possibilities remain, but no real answers from anyone involved - just deafening silence.

Par for the course... it is what it is, but realistically, it's anyone's guess what's going to happen. I wouldn't be counting on anything other than uncertainty.

[GRNDP51]

I don't know if that's going to be the biggest hurdle faced by the Miss Bardahl team. There is one issue that is yet unresolved, or rather, we STILL have the proverbial 500 lb. gorilla in the room (the most difficult issue being faced by the Bardahl Special team is being ignored). What I'm referring to is http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/forum...116#post263116, where the rules of competition state very clearly that aircraft which have been modified for unlimited competition like the Bardahl Special has been since her last outing at Reno, must have their flight testing & paperwork submitted to RARA before August 15th that year. If the pictures were indeed taken 8/26/23 - then this obviously didn't/isn't going to happen ... so it's anyone's guess on how that is going to play out this September.

Will the rules be enforced as written? Will the Bardahl Special receive special consideration? Will it be up to RARA to make the call? Or will the FAA have the final word? Has the decision already been made (one might think that since there's been no change to the entry list since published)? Lots of questions and lots of bad possibilities remain, but no real answers from anyone involved - just deafening silence.

Par for the course... it is what it is, but realistically, it's anyone's guess what's going to happen. I wouldn't be counting on anything other than uncertainty.

I've been saying this to everyone questioning the project - if this was YOUR money, would you just hope that the plane will be ready in time and RARA/FAA will let it race? No, you would have all of this worked out VERY much in advance, and even if it seems like it's coming down to the wire there is no chance in hell Justin is saying to the team "hope you guys have it ready in time!" With this being the last Unlimited race for the foreseeable future, ALL of this money is literally a waste if the plane isn't ready. The only thing that would de-rail this is the engine popping during test flights or something out of the team's control.

[Mark K]

I've been saying this to everyone questioning the project - if this was YOUR money, would you just hope that the plane will be ready in time and RARA/FAA will let it race? No, you would have all of this worked out VERY much in advance, and even if it seems like it's coming down to the wire there is no chance in hell Justin is saying to the team "hope you guys have it ready in time!" With this being the last Unlimited race for the foreseeable future, ALL of this money is literally a waste if the plane isn't ready. The only thing that would de-rail this is the engine popping during test flights or something out of the team's control.

Worked out well in advance... interesting implications there, especially considering the history of the rule. Anyway, given the situation one can only conclude that the testing will be done "later"... hopefully they'll get her together & iron out any issues that may crop up.

[T. Adams]

Great news, messages incoming this morning. A certain white P-51 showed up on Flightradar orbiting Chino.

[Mark K]

Great news, messages incoming this morning. A certain white P-51 showed up on Flightradar orbiting Chino.

Awesome!!!! It's been too quiet down there for far too long. Thanks for the great news Tim

[RAD2LTR]

I really wasn't expecting to hear this this morning, but good for them. I hope to see them on the ramp come next Sunday.

Will